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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. N. AVERY.

HAY RACK.

No. 430,611. Patented June 24, 1890.

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HAY RACK. I No. 430,611. Patented June 24, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ED WARD N. AVERY, OF TECUMSEH, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES A. SLAYTON, OF SAME PLACE.

HAY- RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 430,611, dated J une 24, 1890.

Application filed November 1, 1889. Serial No. 328,914. (No model.)

T at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD N. AVERY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tecumseh, in the county of Lenawee and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Convertible Hay and Stock Rack; and I do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification. r 5 My invention relates to a convertible hay and stock rack, and has for its object to provide a rack that can be readily adjusted upon the box of an ordinary farm-wagon to serve the purpose of a hay-rack, and that can be easily converted into a stock-rack of a size and form corresponding to that of the box and extending upward as an extension thereto.

A further object is to support the movable parts upon metal hangers by means of swivelcouplings, one of which shall have a vertical movement upon the hanger, with provision for securing the same to any desired adjustment by means of aset-screw tapped through the coupling and bearing against the hanger.

0 A further object is to construct a hanger that shall incline from the side of the wagonbox, thereby not only preventing disfigurement of the side of the box by the abrasion caused by rubbing of the iron against the 3 5 same, but by the inclination causing the hanger to act as a brace in supporting the movable parts.

A further object is to provide end sections detachably hinged to the end boards in a manner to fold within the box out of the way when desired'a and that will allow the section upon the rear end of the box to be let down with the end board and serve as a trackway upon which the stock may be driven to enter 5 the rack.

The invention consists in the parts and combination of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a box with the rack in place thereon,

adjusted as a hay-rack with the hind endboard, and let down to illustrate the position of the end section when used as a trackway. Fig. 2 is atransverse section through the box and rack, with one side and end adjusted to form a rack for stock. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a hanger and bracket. Fig. 4 is a like view with the bracket shown in longitudinal vertical section.

A designates the wagon-box of any ordi- 6o nary construction.

B are hangers formed with a body portion C, having a rectangular hook D formed at. the upper end at an obtuse angle to the body portion, the lower end E of the'body portion being bent in parallel relation with the depending portion F of the hook D.

G designates a coupling permanently secured upon the hanger near the hook portion D, the coupling being preferably secured to the hanger by shrinking the same thereon.

I-I designates another coupling, which is movably secured upon the hanger below coupling G, each of the couplings being formed with a longitudinal perforation through which the hanger is passed, and a transverse perforation G and H, respectively, for a purpose hereinafter described.

I designates a bracket-arm, to which are secured plates J by means of bolts or rivets K, the free end of the plates being coupled. with the coupling G by means of a bolt L passed through the perforation G, by which means the bracket-arm is allowed aswinging movement in the arc of a circle.

M designates braces secured at the upper end to the bracket-arm by means of a bolt M, and at the lower end movably secured to the coupling H by means of a b'oltM passed through thesame and the perforation H in 0 the coupling, whereby the Vertical movement of coupling H, through the medium of braces M, will cause a greater or less inclination of the bracket-arm, the coupling being secured in any desired adjustment by means of setscrews H tapped through the coupling and engaging with the body of the hanger.

O designates transverse bed-pieces extending beyond the width of the box and perforated at the outer ends to receive the ends E IOO of the hangers, which are provided with collars 0' designed to rest upon the bed-pieces.

It will be understood that by reason of the hook D being formed at an angle to the body of the hanger with the depending portion F in parallel relation with the inner side of the box, the body portion is normally at an angle to the vertical side of the box and fully susrained by the bed-piece, whereby the body of the box is free from danger of wear or abrasion from the hanger, and there is given a bracing effect to the hanger, another advantage being that the braces M are inclined from their pivotal connection with the bracket-arm, when folded, to form a stockrack, thereby causing the same, by their connection with the -inclined body portion of the hanger, to sustain the bracket-arms when the couplings H are secured by the set-screws.

P designates staples secured upon the inner side of the end boards of the box, into which hooks Q, secured to end sections R of the rack,.engage, the hooks being formed to allow the end sections to fold within the box, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1, when not in use in forming a rack. Each end section comprises standards R, to which are secured transverse boards S, which coincide with like boards secured upon the bracket-arms, the boards S serving to sustain the load when used as a hay-rack, and as closures when forming a'stock-rack, the sections being also adapted to be let down with the end-board to form supports for a trackway of boards, 1

whereby to drive the stock into the rack, as shown in Fig. 1, this arrangement having been found exceedingly convenient either in clined therefrom to the ground, as and for loading or unloading stock from the wagon.

By reason of forming the hanger of metal I with the couplings embracing the same, great strength is insured with a minimum weight, thereby rendering the rack easy of management in adjusting the same to or removing it V from the box.

What I claim is 1. In a convertible hay and stock rack, the combination, with a wagon-box having bedthe bed-pieces and the hooks are in engagement with the Wagon-box the hangers will stand at an inclination to said box, for the purposes set forth.

2. I11 a convertible hay and stock rack, the combination, with a wagon-box having bedpieces extending beyond its sides and perforated near their ends, of a series of metal hangers, whose upper ends are bent to form hooks at an obtuse angle to the body portions, and whose lower ends are bent so as to be parallel with the hooks, a fixed and an adjustable coupling on each hanger, bracketarms pivoted to the fixed couplings, a series of boards secured to the bracket-arms, and braces pivotally connected to said arm and to the adjustable couplings, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

In a convertible hay and stock rack, the combination, with the end-boards of a wagonbox provided with staples on theirinner sides near the bottom, of end rack-sections provided with hooks at their lower ends for engagement with said staples, whereby the end sectionsmay be folded within the box or inthe purpose set forth. I

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I hereby affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. 

